Automatic cop feeder for a winding machine



y 7, i968 ROKUYA IGUSHI ETAL 3,381,908

AUTOMATIC COP FEEDER FOR A WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 7.

y 1968 ROKUYA IGUSHI ETAL 3,38

AUTOMATIC COP FEEDER FOR A WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1966 s sheetssheetg 28a in 28b I 5313 37 72 2a \h -43 71 2 5: W

I 49 24a I 32 37 33 May 1968 ROKUYA IGUSHI ETAL 3,381,908

AUTOMATIC COP FEEDER FOR A WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 4 56b i,52a

y 1968 ROKUYA lGUSHl ETAL 3,381,908

AUTOMATIC COP FEEDER FOR A WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 5 3,381,908 AUTQB'IATIC COP FEEDER FOR A WHNDING MACEHNERokuya lgushi, Koichiro Kubo, and lwao Banha, aii Gojo Factory, ShimadzuSeisakusho Ltd., 11 Saiin Umatsnka-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan Filed Nov.15, 1966, Ser. No. 594,595 20 Claims. (Cl. 242-355) ABSTRAQT OF THEDISCLOSURE An automatic cop feeder for a winding machine having a copmagazine, a cop container and a cop conveyor means for conveying thecops from the container to the magazine. While the cop is associatedwith the cop conveyor means the yarn end is unwound from cop and asuificient length thereof unwound from the cop for uniting with the yarnend of the bobbin of the winding machine. The yarn end of the cop isunwound in four stages. During the first, second and fourth stages thecop is rotated in the unwinding direction while suction is applied tothe yarn end, and during the third stage of operation the cop is rotatedin the direction of winding while suction is applied to the yarn end inthe event the yarn is rewound in the reverse direction during the firsttwo stages of yarn end unwinding.

This invention relates to an automatic cop feeder for a winding machine.

One existing type of automatic winding machine is provided with amagazine for supporting a plurality of cops supplied from a containerand supplying them one after another to winding units, so that the yarnof each cop is unwound therefrom and wound onto a cheese on each windingunit as it circulates on an endless rail. When that cop has beenconsumed, a new cop is supplied from the magazine and the yarn end ofthe new cop is tied to the rear end of the yarn that has been wound ontothe cheese, so that the new yarn is additionally wound onto the cheese.In order to enable the tying of the two yarn ends, there must be asuflicient length of yarn end drawn out of the new cop when it issupplied to the winding unit. Generally, however, a cop has its yarn endwound in a couple of turns in such a manner as to spirally traverse thepreviously wound turns in the backward direction and then in severalmore turns on one neck of the bobbin. Therefore, it is necessary to havethe yarn end drawn out before the cop is supplied to the winding unit.Otherwise, continuous winding operation will be impossible.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the invention to provide copfeeder for a winding machine, which is capable of automaticallyunwinding the yarn end from cops received one after another from a copcontainer and supplying them to a magazine so as to feed the windingunits of the machine. In accordance with the invention, cops are takenup from a container onto a conveyor which conveys them to the magazine.While the cops are being conveyed from the container to the magazine,the unwinding operation is performed by applying suction to the cops andat the same time rotating them about their axes. The operation iscarried out in several steps. In the first step, a jet stream of air isapplied to the cop axially thereof from one side, with a suction beingapplied thereto from the opposite side. At the same time the cop isrotated about its axis in such a direction as to unwind the yarn endwound on the bobbin neck so that the unwound yarn end is cut off. In thesecond step, the cop is rotated in the same unwinding direction, withsuction being applied thereto to suck up an excess length of the yarnend States Patent 3,38l,%3 Patented May 7, 1968 and cut it off. It oftenhappens, however, that in the second step the yarn end being unwound isagain wound on the cop in the unwinding direction. If in the third step,the cop were rotated in the same unwinding direction as in the previousstep, the yarn end would never be paid out of the cop. In accordancewith the invention, therefore, the cop is rotated in the windingdirection in this step, with suction being applied thereto, so as tomake it possible to unwind the yarn end that has been wound on the copin the unwinding direction in the previous step and then re-wind it onthe cop in the winding direction. In this connection, a searcher mayadvantageously be provided to act on the yarn end of the cop beingrotated in this step so as to help the rewinding operation. Then, in thelast step the cop is rotated in the unwinding direction, with suctionbeing applied thereto, so as to draw out a sufiicient length of yarn endfrom the cop.

Thus, it is one important feature of the invention to rotate the cop inthe winding direction in the last but one step of the unwindingoperation, thereby making it possible for a sufiicient length of yarnend to be drawn out of the cop in the next and last step when it issupplied into the magazine.

The invention, with its above stated and other objects, features andadvantages will be better understood from the following description of apreferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view, partly broken away, of an automatic copfeeder of the invention in combination with a winding machine;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the conveyor and the feedersections of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the principal portion of FIG. 1,chiefly showing the interior mechanism of the feeder section;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the feeder mechanism, asviewed from below FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a still enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion of FIG.2, as viewed from a little more above than in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 shows cops having their yarn ends unwound to different degrees inaccordance with the unwinding process of the invention.

Reference has been and will often be made to the winding direction andthe unwinding direction in the specification and claims. When thewinding direction is referred to with respect to the yarn of a cop, itis defined as that direction in which the yarn is wound on the cop;while when it is referred to with respect to the rotation of a cop, itis defined as that direction in which the cop is rotated so as to windyarn thereonto in the same direction as that in which the previouslywound turns are wound. The unwinding direction is opposite in the abovetwo senses to the winding direction.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there are shown in FIG. 1 a copcontainer section, a conveyor section, a feeder section and a magazinesection generally designated by A, B, C and D, respectively. Cops 10 arepicked up from the container section and delivered to the magazinesection by means of a conveyor 11. The feeder section includes a pair ofspiders 12a and 12b, each having five radially extending arms. Thespiders are adapted to pick up cops one after another from the upperportion of the conveyor and drop them into a hopper 13 disposed abovethe magazine. The magazine is provided with a plurality of open sidedpockets 14 circumferentially arranged, into each of which the hopperdirects one cop after another vertically as the magazine isintermittently rotated. Before the cops are dropped into the hopper 13,a sufficient length of yarn end Wound thereon is drawn out, as will bedescribed in detail later. To this end the a feeder section alsoincludes a pair of suction cutters a and 1512 connected to a commonsuction tube 16, with a motor 17 for driving the cutters not shown, aswell as a suction nozzle 18 connected to a suction pipe 19.

One of the winding units is designated at 20, which circulates along avertically arranged pair of endless guide rails 21a and 21b. The unitreceives from the magazine a cop 22, the drawn-out yarn end of the cophaving been tied onto the yarn end of a cheese 23 so as to becontinuously wound thereonto.

Referring to FIG. 2, a pair of side plates 24a and 24b extend along theopposite sides of the conveyor 11, with a pair of plates 25a and 25bprovided inside the upper portion of the plates 24a and 24b. Thedistance between the inner plates 25:: and 25b decreases as they goupward so as to define the position of the cops on the conveyor. Abovethe upper portion of the conveyor a U-shaped retainer memer 26 isswingably supported by a rod 27 so as to bear on the cops on theconveyor with a suitable pressure. Covers 28a and 28b protect theinterior mechanism of the feeder section, the details of which wiil bedescribed later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

A suitable distance down the conveyor 11 from the inner side plates 25aand 25b, there is provided over the conveyor a roller 29 of a suitablematerial rigidly mounted on a shaft 30 which is rotated by a suitabledrive 31. The roller 29 frictionally contacts the cop on the conveyor torotate it. The roller is rotatable in opposite directions so as torotate the cop in the winding or unwinding direction as occasionsdemand. Near the roller means there is formed a suction hole 32 in theside plate 24a, and over the opposite side plate 24b a nozzle 33 isdirected toward the suction hole 32 across the conveyor. The nozzle jetsa stream of air axially of the cop being rotated by the roller 29 so asto unwind the yarn end about the bobbin neck to be sucked into the hole32, wherein the yarn end is cut off by a suitable cutter provided in thehole but not shown in the figure. The jet and suction perform the firststep of the process for unwinding the yarn end of the cop, thesucceeding steps of which are performed in the feeder section.

As shown in FIG. 3, the spiders 12a and 12b are rigidly mounted on a.shaft 34 in an axially spaced apart relation at the opposite sides ofthe conveyor. The shaft is rotated by a suitable drive (not shown)through. gears 35a, 35b and 35c in synchronism with circulation of thewinding unit 20, FIG. 1. The shaft 34 also drives the conveyor 11. Thespider 120 comprises five radial arms and five heads 36 formed on theouter ends of the respective arms, three of the heads being designatedat 36a, 36b and 350. The other spider 1217 also comprises five radialarms with five heads 37, three of which are designated by 37a, 37b and37c. Each head of the spider 12a is paired with and works in cooperationwith a corresponding one of the heads of the other spider 12b. One copafter another carried on the conveyor is caught between one of thepaired heads after another in the manner to be described hereinafter.

Each head of the spider 12a is formed with an axial bore 38 open towardthe opposed head of the other spider 12b and closed at the opposite sideby an end wall 39 having a central opening. In the axial bore 38 thereis slidably enclosed a cylindrical block 40, which supports an axiallyextending shaft 41 for simultaneou axial movement with the block 40. Theshaft 41 is rotatable relative to the block 40 as will be describedlater. The shaft 41 has its one end projecting through the block 48toward the opposed head of the other spider 12b and its rear endprojecting through the central opening of the end wall 39 of the head36. A spring 42 coils around the shaft 41 inside the slidable block 40and normally biases the block and consequently the shaft to itsprojecting position. Each head of the spider 12b is provided with acentrally depressed saucer 43, the center of which is always alignedwith the axis of the slidable shaft 41 of the corresponding head 36 ofthe spider 12a. The saucer 43 is rotatable relative to the head 3'7.

A slot 44 is formed in the lateral wall of each head 36 of the spider12a, and a pin 45 is rigidly secured to the cylindrical wall of theblock 40 and project through the slot 44. This slot is formed aslant sothat as the pin 45 is moved along the slot 44, the shaft 41 is axiallymoved toward or away from the corresponding saucer, thereby holding acop on the conveyor between the outer end of the shaft 41 and the saucer43, or releasing the hold on the cop. The movement of the pin 45 iseffected by means of stopper 46a and 4621. When, upon rotation of thespider 12a, each head thereon is brought immediately before a position,like that of the head 36a in FIG. 1 or 3, where a cop 10a is to be heldbetween the opposed heads, the pin 45 hits on the stopper 46a so as tobe moved thereby along the slot 44 away from the cop, thereby retractingthe shaft 41 to increase the distance between the outer end of the shaftand the opposed saucer 43 enough for the cop to come in therebetween,with the spring 42 in the head 36 being increasingly compressed. Uponfurther rotation of the spiders, the pin 45 on the head passes through anotch 47a formed in the stopper 46a, whereupon the force stored inthecompressed spring 42 causes the block 46 and consequently the shaft 41to project toward the bobbin end, with the pin 45 that has been in thatend of the slot 44 farthest away from the bobbin end being moved to theopposite end of the slot. In synchronism with the projection of theshaft, the cop 10a is brought between the projected end of the shaft andthe saucer so as to be held therebetween. Alignment of the axis of eachcop on the conveyor with the shaft 41 and saucer 43 is effected by apair of saw-toothed disks 63a and 63b rigidly mounted on the drive shaft34 at opposite sides of the conveyor and inside the spiders. As each copon the conveyor approaches a position where it is held between the shaftend and the saucer, the opposite necks of the bobbin are engaged by anopposed pair of teeth on the disks so that the cop is raised therebyfrom on the conveyor into axial alignment with the shaft and saucer,regardless of variation, if any, of the diameter of different cops.

Upon further rotation of the spiders, the pin 45 hits on the otherstopper 46b and is moved thereby along the slot 44 toward the oppositeend thereof so that the shaft is retracted, compressing the spring 42and at the same time releasing the hold on the cop, whereupon the cop isdropped into the hopper 13 and the pin passes through a notch 47b formedin the stopper 46b. The stoppers 46a and 4611 are mounted on a U-shapedyoke 48 which is in turn supported on a pair of columns 49.

Generally, a cop has its yarn end wound in a few turns 10 spirally onthe previously wound turns in a backward direction, and then in a fewmore turns 10" on one neck of the bobbin, as shown in FIG. 6a. In orderto have a sufficient length of yarn end drawn out of the cop when it hasbeen supplied to the winding unit, it must have its yarn end unwound andcut off to the condition shown in FIG. 6:! when it has been. brought toa position in front of the suction nozzle 18. The process for unwindingthe yarn end and cutting an excess length thereof so as to obtain theyarn end condition of FIG. 6d from that of 'FIG. 6a would ideally becarried out in a single step. However, each cop on the conveyor iscontinuously moved so that the period of time available for treatment ofthe yarn end is relatively short, and this i true in case the movementof the cops is intermittent. Practically, therefore, the treatment onthe cops is performed in several steps, with the resulting advantagethat any error in one step can be corrected in the following steps. Inthe prior art, although the process was carried out in several steps, itwas nothing but mere repetition of the same treatment. For example, ifin the first step the cop was rotated in such a direction as to unwindthe yarn end therefrom, in the next step it was still rotated in thesame unwinding direction. Referri g to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, if

the cop a at position X is rotated in the unwinding direction, that is,clockwise in FIG. 4, the unwound portion of the yarn end may sometimesbe wound again on the cop in the unwinding direction as shown at inFIGS. 5 and 60. With such a rewound yarn end, even if the cop is rotatedin the same unwinding direction at position Y, the yarn end 50 willnever be unwound from the cop, but will be brought to position Z as itis. If at position Z the cop is further rotated in still the samedirection, the yarn end will never be drawn out of the cop. In otherwords, no sufficient length of yarn can be drawn out of the cop bysuction applied thereto through the nozzle 18.

The difiiculty encountered in the prior art method was caused byrotating the cop at position Y in the unwinding direction even when thecop has its yarn end 50 wound in the unwinding direction. In accordancewith the present invention, however, the cop having its yarn end woundin the unwinding direction as shown in FIG. 60 is rotated in the windingdirection at position Y, so that the yarn end 50 is unwound from the topuntil the point p is reached, whereupon it is again wound on the cop inthe winding direction as shown in FIG. 6d. The mechanism foraccomplishing this result is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The shaft 41 ofeach head 36 of the spider 12a is provided at its rear end with a roller51. When the spider is rotated, each head 36 and consequently the roller51 thereof are moved along a circle concentric with the drive shaft 34.Three rollers 52a, 52b and 520 are provided so that the roller 51 comesinto contact with those rollers to be frictionally rotated thereby whenthe roller '51 arrives at positions X, Y and Z, successively. The threerollers are rigidly mounted on shafts 53a, 53b and 53c, which in turnhave gears 54a, 54b and 546, respectively. The gears 54a and 54c meshdirectly with pinion gears 55a and 55c rigidly mounted on shafts 56a and560, respectively, but the gear 54b meshes with a pinion gear 55arigidly mounted on a shaft 56b, indirectly through an idle gear 57. Theshafts 56a, 56b and 56c are journaled on the yoke 48 so that the piniongears 55a, 55b and 550 mesh with a larger gear 58 which is freelymounted on the shaft 34 and driven by a drive gear 59. Three rods 69a,60b and 60c connects the three pairs of shafts 53a and 56a, 53b and 56b,and 530 and 560, respectively, so that the rods are pivotable about theshafts 56a, 56b and 560, respectively. Springs 61a, 61b and 61c havingtheir respective one ends secured to stationary supports 62a, 62b and620 bear at their respective other ends on the connecting rods 60a, 60band 600, so that each of the rollers 52a, 5212 an 520 bears on theroller 51 of each head 36 of the spider 12a with a sufficient pressureto effect a rotary drive connection between each contacting pair ofrollers. The gear connections may be replaced by any other suitablemeans, such as belt means.

Suppose that the gear 58 is rotated counter-clockwise in FIG. 4. Thenthe gears 54a and 54c and consequently the rollers 52a and 52c arerotated in the same counterclockwise direction, but the gear 54b andconsequently the roller 52b are rotated in the opposite, clockwisedirection due to the existence of the intermediate gear 5-7.Consequently, the roller 51 on each head 36 is rotated clockwise when itis contacted by the rollers 52a and 520, but counter-clockwise when itis contacted by the roller 52b. The net result is that each cop isrotated clockwise in FIG. 4, that is, in the unwinding direction atposition X, and then counter-clockwise, that is, in the windingdirection at position Y, and finally in the unwinding direction atposition Z where the cop faces the suction nozzle 18. Since the cop isrotated in the yarn- Winding direction at position Y, any yarn end woundthereon in the unwinding direction in the previous step of the processwill be properly rewound on the cop in the winding direction so as to beready to be unwound there- 6 from in the next and final step of theprocess. Referring to FIG. 5, the suction cutters 15a and 15b are heldin position by angle members 64a and 64b secured to the cover 23a. Thecutters (not shown) are driven by belts 65a and 65b, respectively.

A searcher 66 may advantageously be provided to act on the yarn end 50of the cop 10b at position Y. The searcher has a claw 67 extendingsubstantially tangentially of the cop and directed oppositely to therotational direction thereof so that the claw engages the yarn end 59 tohelp rewind it on the cop in the winding direction as shown in FIG. 6d.

Although in the above embodiment the cop is rotated in the unwindingdirection in the first and second steps of the unwinding process, it mayalso be rotated in the winding direction either in the first or secondstep, or in both the first and second steps, depending upon the natureof the yarn, with necessary minor change of the concerned parts of themechanism which will be apparent to those hwo have read thespecification. In the latter case, the cop may be brought to position Y,with the yarn end wound in the winding direction and lying toward theleft-hand end of the cop as shown in FIG. 6b. Experience shows that ifthe cop with that yarn end condition is brought to position Z androtated in the unwinding direction, with suction being applied theretothrough the nozzle 18, the yarn will never be drawn out of the cop. Inaccordance with .the invention, however, as the cop is rotated in thewinding direction at position Y, the claw 67 of the searcher 66 engageswith the yarn end under the condition of FIG. 6b so as to bring the yarnend to the middle and the right-hand side of the cop to be drawn outtherefrom by the suction applied thereto at position Z.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto, and that there are many modification and changes thereofwithoutt departing from the true scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An automatic cop feeder comprising, in combination with a windingmachine including a cop magazine and a plurality of winding units fed bysaid magazine: means for containing cops, means for conveying said copsfrom said containing means to said magazine, means for taking up one ofsaid cops after another from said conveying means and supplying theminto said magazine; first suction means for applying suction to eachsaid cop immediately before it is supplied into said magazine; firstrotating means incorporated in said taking-up means for rotating eachsaid cop being held by said taking-up means in the unwinding directionsimultaneously with application of said suction; second rotating meansincorporated in said taking-up means for rotating each said oop beingheld by said taking-up means in the winding direction before it isrotated by said first rotating means; second suction means for applyingsuction to each said cop while it is being rotated by said secondrotating means; and means associated with said second suction means forcutting an excess length of the yarn end unwound from each said cop.

2. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 1, further includingsearcher means operable in cooperation with said second rotating meansfor engaging the yarn end of each said cop being rotated by said secondrotating means.

3. An automatic cop feeder comprising, in combination with a windingmachine including a cop magazine and a plurality of winding units fed bysaid magazine: means for storing cops, means for conveying said copsfrom said storing means to said magazine, means for taking up one ofsaid cops after another from said conveying means and supplyin them intosaid magazine; first suction means for applying suction to each said copimmediately before it is supplied into said magazine; first rotatingmeans incorporated in said taking-up means for rotating each said copbeing held by said taking-up means in the unwinding directionsimultaneously with application of said suction; second rotating meansincorporated in said taking-up means for rotating each said cop beingheld by said takingup means in the winding direction before it isrotated by said first rotating means; second suction means for applyingsuction to each said cop while it is being rotated by said secondrotating means; third rotating means asociated with said conveyin meansfor rotating each said cop on said conveying means in the unwindingdirection before it is rotated by said second rotating means; means associated with said third rotating means for applying a jet stream of airto each said cop substantially axially thereof as it is being rotated bysaid third rotating means; third suction means operable in cooperationwith said jet means for applying suction to each said cop in such adirection as to increase the efiiciency of said jet stream of air; andmeans associated with said third suction means for cutting an excesslength of the yarn end unwound from each said cop.

4. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 3, further includingsearcher means operable in cooperation with said second rotating meansfor engaging the yarn end of each said cop as it is being rotated bysaid second rotating means.

5. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 3, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

6. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 4, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

7. An automatic cop feeder comprising, in combination with a windingmachine including a cop magazine and a plurality of winding units fed bysaid magazine: means for storing cops, means for conveying said copsfrom said storing means to said magazine, means for taking up one ofsaid cops after another from said conveying means and supplying theminto said magazine; first suction means for applying suction to eachsaid cop immediately before it is supplied into said magazine; firstrotating means incorporated in said taking-up means for rotating eachsaid cop being held by said taking-up means in the unwinding directionsimultaneously with application of said suction; second rotating meansincorporated in said takingup means for rotating each said cop beingheld by said taking-up means in the winding direction before it isrotated by first rotating means; second suction means operable incooperation with said second rotating means for applying suction to eachsaid cop while it is being rotated by said second rotating means; thirdrotating means incorporated in said taking-up means for rotating eachsaid cop in the unwinding direction before it is rotated by said secondrotating means; third suction means operable in cooperation with saidthird rotating means for applying suction to each said cop while it isbeing rotated by said third rotating means; fourth rotating meansassociated with said conveying means for rotating each said cop on saidconveying means in the unwinding direction before it is rotated by saidthird rotating means; means asociated with said fourth rotating meansfor applying a jet stream of air to each said cop substantially axiallythereof while it is being rotated by said fourth rotating means; andmeans asociated with said jet means for cutting an excess length of theyarn end unwound from each said cop.

8. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 7, further includinsearcher means operable in cooperation with said second rotating meansfor engaging the yarn end of each said cop as it is being rotated bysaid second rotating means.

9. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 7, further including afourth suction means operable in cooperation with said jet means forapplying suction to each of said cop in such a direction as to increasethe efiiciency of said jet stream of air.

10. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 8, further including afourth suction means operable in cooperation with said jet means forapplying suction to each said cop in such a direction as to increase theefiiciency of said jet stream of air.

11. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 10, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

12. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 10, wherein both saidthird and fourth rotating means are so arranged as to rotate each saidcop in the winding direction.

13. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 9, wherein said thirdsuction means is provided with means for cutting an excess length of theyarn end unwound from each said cop.

14. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 13, further includingsearcher means operable in cooperation with said second rotating meansfor engaging the yarn end of each said cop being rotated by said secondrotating means.

15. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 13, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

16. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 14, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

17. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 13, wherein said secondsuction means is provided with means for cutting an excess length of theyarn end unwound from each said cop.

18. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 17, further includingsearcher means operable in cooperation with said second rotating meansfor engaging the yarn end of each said cop being rotated by said secondrotating means.

19. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 17, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

20. The automatic cop feeder as defined in claim 18, wherein said thirdrotating means is so arranged as to rotate each said cop in the windingdirection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,694 12/1965 Isao Oishi24235.5 3,279,710 10/1966 Raasch 24235.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 6,429 6/1962 Japan.

' STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

